they doe not truly understand the word of God but are apt to pervert it and abuse it to the deep dishonour of God and burthen of their owne soules But those that are the sheep of Christ they heare his voyce intelligently with understanding and knowledge for these Iohn 4.26 they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are taught of God that is Iohn 16.13 of the spirit of God which teacheth them all things as Saint Iohn speakes and leads them into all truth that is all truth necessary for salvation Therefore the Apostle Paul tells us 1. Cor. 2.15 that he that is spirituall discerneth all things that is all things pertinent to spirituall happinesse Hence it is that our Saviour saith in Mathewes Gospell to the affected with his spirit Mat. 13.11 To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of Heaven to you that are inspired with my spirit From all which it is cleere that the true sheep of Christ doe heare his voyce Intelligenly with true understanding and knowledge And let it be here observed that wee meane not a meere theoreticall Iam. 2 19. or bare historicall knowledge which is in the very Divells and may bee often found in ungodly men Iohn 2 4. but wee speake of a knowledge practicall according to Saint Iohn who tells us That if wee say wee know God and yet keepe not his commandements wee are liars Bern. sup Cant. Serm. 36. Sunt qui scire volunt eo sine tantum ut sciant turpis curiositas est sunt qui scire volunt ut sciantur ipsi turpis vanitas est qui prosecto non evadent substannantem Satyricum scire tuum nil est nisi te scire hoc sciat alter Per. Sat. 1. Nazianz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist in primis metaphys ter◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 8.1 Arist 5. ethic 3 cap. Variaâ—uÌ„ rerum scientia sine morum cultura honestatis nil aliud est quam gladius in manu hominis suriosi Mat. 13.13 Esa 6.9 10. and the truth is not in us For those then that seeke to know onely that they may know or that seeke to know that they may bee knowne or that seeke to know that they may pervert and abuse Gods sacred truth and take his weapons to fight against himselfe these heare not the voyce of Christ Intelligently with true knowledge but to the dishonour of God and prejudice of their owne soules Therefore Gregorie Nazianzen doth well conclude Knowledge is the greatest decor and ornament of life but saith hee if thou use it not well it is the greatest evill It is true that the Heathen man speakes All men by nature desire to know but it is most ture that the Apostle speakes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Knowledge if it be not watered with the dewes of Grace is apt to puffe men up and to transport them from all true rules of Pietie Therefore the very Philosopher worthily tells us that the knowledge of divers things without practice is nothing else but as a sword in the hand of a mad man Briefly for those stupidious hearers who as our Saviour speakes doe see and yet perceive not that heare and understand not whose hearts are waxed fat in wickednesse whose eares are dull of hearing which doe as it were winke with their eyes lest they should see with their eyes and heare with their eares and understand with their hearts c. for these they are frozen in the dreggs of their iniquitie and doe plainely shew they are no sheep of Christ for the Text is cleere His sheep doe heare his voyce that is Intelligently with true understanding and knowledge Thirdly his sheep doe heare his voyce humiliter humbly confessing their sinnes and acknowledging their transgressions Prov. 28.13 for they know that to bee true that Salomon recordes That hee that hides his sinnes shall not prosper but hee that confesseth and forsakes them shall have mercie yea they know that the promise of Gods mercie and favour is limited with this condition as Saint Iohn doth plainely witnesse 1. Iohn 1.9 If saith he wee acknowledge our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive our sinnes therefore no acknowledgement no pardon But saith Chrysostom confessio reddit Deum propitium Chrysost in Psal confession makes God to be mercifull This the blessed Prophet David doth witnesse unto us by his owne experience bending his speech unto God I acknowledged my sinne saith he and thou forgavest the punishment thereof Psal 32 5. August Wherefore Augustine gives worthy advice dimitte Satanam teipsum accusa ut accusatione tua veniam habeas let Satan goe and accuse thy selfe that by thy accusation thou maiest obtaine pardon for the Apostle tells us plainely 1. Cor. 11.31 If wee would judge our selves Bern. we should not be judged Oh saith Bernard judicatus non judicandus already judged and not to be judged Gloss Quando homo detegit Deus tegit Aug. Quando homo tegit Deus denudat for as the Glosse speakes When man discovers God covers but as Augustine speakes When man covers then God discovers As we may see clearely in pernicious Cain hee braved out his sinne when God asked him for his brother hee insolently replied Gen. 4.9 Am I my brothers keeper But God discovered his bloudy treacherie to the perpetuall horror of his soule and conscience Iosh 7.18 So sacrilegious Achan cunningly concealed his private thieft but God by lott discovered him 2. Reg. 5. â—5 to the utter ruine of him and his whole family It was easie with Gehazi to deny his symonicall bribes smoothly answering Thy servant hath beene no where 2. Reg. 5.27 but God discovers it to his Master Elisha and makes him the instrument to denounce a grievous scourge against him and his posteritie for ever Acts 5. Ananias and Saphira may closely conceale their Hypocrisie they may boldly and impudently denie their private fraud but God will manifest it and by the mouth of his Apostle deprive them of all vitall power And in these our times many such may we behold that are farre from that humble hearing of Christs voyce as intirely to acknowledge their sinnes and transgressions but are apt to braue them out with a proud and an arrogant countenance And therfore doe plainely shew they are farre from being the sheepe of Christ for they doe humbly heare his voyce acknowledging and confessing their transgressions yea they are apt mournfully to cry out with the prodigall child Father Luke 15.18 19 wee have sinned against Heaven and against Thee and are no more worthy to be called thy children And indeed when was it that sinfull Mary found peace to her soule but when shee kneeled at the feet of Christ Luke 7.48 and powred forth even a flood of teares to wash the feet of Christ and wipt them with the haires of her head therein
mercenarily for temporall respects so the carnall may sometime follow Christ Our Saviour himselfe doth witnesse it of those that followed him from Galile to Capernaum Ioh. 6.26 Yee seeke mee said Christ not because ye saw the miracles but because ye ate of the loaves and were filled This is that for which God doth tax those rebellious ones in the prophesie of Hosea Mos 7.14 who assembled themselves for corne and wine that they might have plenty in those things but otherwaies were rebellious against God and had no affection to his Majestie Againe others there are that follow Christ not willingly because they have hearts bent unto Christ to practise that which he injoynes but dissemblingly for shew sake because they would be accounted religious Mat. 7.16 But as our Saviour Christ speakes Yee shall know them by their fruites for observe them and yee shall cleerely see that all their religion consists in the eare and in the tongue These heare as oft as any they will speak as freely of the word as any but for holy practice the workes of pietie and remorsefull charitie the evidence of a true and lively faith oh none so barren as these but under this maske of coloured religion you shall have them to drinke deep in the sinke of wickednesse to make no question to lie for gaine to deceive for profit to oppresse and gripe with a devouring hand whatsoever comes neere them yea though they bee holy things such as God hath sequestred to himselfe for the promoting of his worship Prov. 20.25 and doth conclude it to bee an abomination to devoure them yet these these make no question to swallow up and Viper-like to wound destroy their own Mother Which plainely shewes they are abortive Impes and never truely begotten But what should I speake of this cause oh how miserable is the state of the Church in this behalfe Rent by Schismatiques wounded by Atheists pierst by Hypocrites devoured by Customes confronted by every wrangling Spirit who like the Edomites to exasperate the Babilonians crueltie seem to cry out Downe with it down with it even to the foundation therof Alas Psal 127.7 to torture blessed Christ Pilate Herod wil be friends to wound the holy church Luke 23.12 and to supplant Gods sacred worship those meager Coridons Gen. 34.25 Gen. 49.5 that love not each other will yet lincke together like Simeon and Levi brethren in mischiefe Wherefore to passe by this particular which finds so few to take compassion upon it though it mournfully cry out Lam. 7.12 Have ye no regard all yee that passe by this way behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow to passe by this grievous miserie to regard which all eares seeme to be deafe all eyes to bee blinde all tongues to be silent all hands to be claspt all hearts to be hardned and to returne againe unto those dissembling followers of Christ no small enemies in this kinde to whom it is common to presse great labours from the Preacher but if hee touch them in their temporals and expect his due from them oh then they cry out Tolle away with him hee is no man for us for these follow Christ meerely for private respects to be talkers and no doers for if Christ required practice Mat. 19.21 and would rather have them to sell that they have than charitie should bee wanting or the distressed unrelieved or Gods worship suppressed then like that yongue man in Matthewes Gospell Mat. 19.22 they bid a farewell to Christ For these be like that figg-tree that Christ did curse they have goodly leaves Mat. 21.19 but alas nothing but leaves If Christ be ahungred and seeke for fruit from these he shall be sure to finde none at all Thus wee see there be some that follow Christ but not willingly but mercenarily not willingly but dissemblingly for shew not for substance Lastly others there bee that follow Christ not willingly but constrainedly as provokt thereunto by the revenging hand of God This made Pharaoh to cry out The Lord is righteous but I and my people are wicked Exod. 9.27 and to be so farre obsequious as for the present to consent to let the people goe This made corrupt Balaam in stead of cursing to blesse the people of the Lord. Numb 23.8 9. This made wicked Ahab to humble himselfe in sack-cloth before this mightie God 1. King 21.27 And we may see by experience that this makes ungodly persons so to follow Christ as to intreat mercie and favour at his hands when God doth execute his justice upon them Phil. 2.10 11. yea this at length shall make the most stubborne and rebellious spirits to bow at the name of Iesus and to confesse him to bee the Lord unto the glorie of God the Father But as our Saviour himselfe doth witnesse not everie one that saith unto him * That is superficially or constrainedly Mat. 7.21 Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of his father which is in heaven Therefore the true sheepe of Christ doe follow him willingly with readie hearts and inclinde affections to doe whatsoever he injoynes And thus wee see the scope of the first point how the sheepe of Christ doe follow him namely willingly Secondly they doe follow him patiently not murmuring not repining at the afflictions which befall them in the profession of the Gospell for they remember that Christ himselfe doth witnesse Mat. 16.24 that if any will follow him they must forsake themselves and take up their crosse and follow him yea they know that he hath left it as a legacie unto his children that in him they shall have peace Ioh. 16.33 but in the world affliction In him a blessed peace the peace of conscience in this life and the peace of glorie in the life to come The incomparable solace whereof is so ingraven upon their hearts by the spirit of God that they with cheerfull patience undergoe all the stormes that Satan and his confederates can afford Heb. 11.25 26 Choosing rather with blessed Moses to suffer adversitie than to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of the Epypt of this world for they have respect unto the recompence of the reward Rom. 8.18 which makes them to conclude that the afflictions of this life are not worthy of the joyes that shall bee revealed but that as the same Apostle speakes 2. Cor. 4.17 their light affliction which is but for a moment shall cause unto them a farre more excellent and an eternall weight of Glorie Therefore our Saviour Christ doth strictly lay this charge upon his servants Luke 21.19 by patience to possesse their soules for as the Apostle speakes Iames 1.20 The wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Zophar in Iobs Historie Iob 20.12 c. When wickednesse is sweet in the mouth of the wicked when they hide it under their tongues when they favour it and will not forsake it but keepe it close in their mouthes then shall the meate in their bowells bee turned and the gall of Aspes shall be in the midst of them and the substance they have devoured they shall vomit it God shall draw it out of their bellies Thus wee see it cleere that the state of man may well be deciphered by a Race whether wee respect quantitie or qualitie his naturall life or his corrupted nature And thus much for the word Runne in the Abstract as it simply impies a Race Come we now to consider it in the Contret with the coherence of the Text as it implies a certaine speciall kinde of Race And because in every Race two things are specially remarkable the terminus à quo and the terminus ad quem the place from which and the place to which wee bend our passage consider wee therefore here in this spirituall Race the thing from which wee are to runne and the thing to which we are to speed our course And observe we That that from which wee are to bend our passage is the loathsome sink of sin our heape of foule corruptions And this for speciall reason for as the Prophet Esay speakes Esay 59.2 sinne makes a divorse between God and us Your iniquities saith he have separated betweene you and your God and have caused him to hide his face from you Sinne oh t is odious in Gods sight for as the Psalmist speakes Psal 11.5 his soule abhors all them that love iniquitie yea Hab. 1.13 saith the Prophet Habacuck his eyes are pure eyes and can behold no wickednesse that is to favour it Sinne as much as in it lyeth is distructive of the very nature of God or approve it wheresoever And no marvell for sinne as much as in it lies is distructive of the very nature and essence of God that is though not really yet intentatively although not in respect of the reall inferring of an evill for nothing can be opposed to God immediately in himselfe Nil Deo immediate in seipso opponatur contrariè vel privative Impius omnino vellet Deum peccata sua aut vindicare non posse aut nolle aut ea nescire Bern. Serm. 3. de resurrect Dom. either contrarily or privatively yet by attempting it and therefore in regard of will and affection for as Bernard speakes a wicked man would by all meanes that either God could not revenge his sinnes or that hee would not or that hee did not know them to be revenged of them therefore great reason all sinne should bee odious in Gods sight as endeavouring as much as in it lieth to destroy the very nature of God for if that could befall God which a wicked man desires he could not be God it would destroy his Deity Rom. 6.23 Hence therefore it is that the Apostle worthily concludes that the wages of sinne is death and that not onely temporall and corporeall but eternall of soule and body for ever And this also most iustly for what can be more equall than that there should bee an eternall and an infinite punishment imposed upon that which carries with it a certaine kinde of infinitie But sinne doth carry with it a kinde of infinitie though not * Non secundum Physicam entitatem physically or intrinsically yet morally and extrinsically or avertively and obiectively avertively as it is an evill turning man from an infinite good Peccatum non est infinitum in genere morali ut est malum hominis sed ut est malum avertens ab infinito bono Peccatum contra Deum commissum quandam habet infinitatem ex infinitate divinae Majestatis tanto enim offensa est gravior quanto major est ille in quem delinquitur Aquinas obiectively in regard of the person against whom it is committed for as Aquinas speakes the offence is so much the greater by how much the person is greater against whom it is committed as therefore God is the obiect against whom sinne is committed so sinne carries with it a certaine kinde of infinitenesse In a word many are the instances of Gods loathing and abhorring sinne and wickednesse Gen. 6.13 We neede never speake of the old worlds many sinnes for which she was absorpt swallowed up with a generall deluge Gen. 7. â—â— wee neede never speake of Sodomes heape of crying sinnes Gen. â—8 â—0 Esay 9.18 for which she was destroyed with fire from Heaven for as the Prophet Esay speakes wickednesse burnes like fire all wickednesse whatsoever Alas Gen. 19.24 for one sinne Adam was throwne out of Paradise and became a prey to Satan Gen. 3.19.23 a terrour to himself a scourge to his posteritie obnoxious unto death even a threefold death corporeall spirituall and eternall nay looke we upon the second Adam Christ himself that immaculate lambe which had no inherent spot of sinne no sinne of his owne Esay 53.5 sinne onely imputative and no more for hee was wounded for our transgressions and was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him Matt. 26.39 yet when this blessed Saviour beheld the wrath of God against this sinne Luke 22.44 it made him grovell upon the earth it made him distill downe sweat like drops of bloud it made him mournfully complaine My soule is heavy round about unto the death it made him earnestly intreat Father Mat. 26.33 if it be possible let this cup passe from me From all which it is cleere that sinne is loathsome in Gods sight all sinne whatsoever what then can be more fit for us than to runne from the sinke of foule corruptions daily mortifying them The terminus ad quem or a place unto which we are specially to bend our Race 1. Cor. 2 9. and as it were leaving them behinde us continually more and more bending our whole course unto the blessed state of glory This is the second branch the terminus ad quem or place unto which wee are to speed our passage Oh this is a blessed state indeed such as the eye hath not seene such as the eare hath not heard nor can come into the heart of man to conceive Rev. 21.4 where as Iohn speakes all teares shall be wiped from their eyes where neyther death nor sorrow 1. Cor. 15.28 nor paine shall ever have anie entrance but God shall be all in all Rev. 22.4 Psal 16.11 and they shall behold the face of God before whose face saith the Psalmist there is the fulnesse of joyes at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore pleasures so absolute and full of delectation that when Peter had but some glimmering tast hereof in the transfiguration of our blessed Saviour upon mount Tabor it so ravished his
is iust unto all wrest not iudgement unto partiall favour for which cause the Areopagites were wont to iudge by night in the darke that they might not respect those that did speak but the things that were spoken not the person but the cause You might remember what Tullie tells you that you have God the witnesse of your iudgements or you might call to minde the absolute integritie of worthy Tennes whose owne sonne being taken in evill hee referred him to due course of Law and would use no partialitie or you might present to consideration that worthy course of iustice sometime exercised among the Indians That if an Artificer were deprived of a hand or of an eye hee was to dye that had done it whatsoever hee was how much more then if pernicious Libertines should wholly deprive such a one of vitall power But howsoever this you must remember you are bound in conscience to remember it for the holy Ghost doth tell it you that the God of Heaven doth sit in the midst of your assemblies declaming and crying out against all sinister passages How long will yee iudge uniustly and favour the person of the wicked As therefore every information is to bee diligently searched how true it is for if it bee sufficient to accuse who shall bee innocent so it being found to be true oh let it receive no indulgence but a due impression of iustice for you see it is cleere that by connivencie you make the sinnes of others to become yours even these grosse these foule and loathsome sinnes And thus you may observe the scope of the eleventh point how we come to participate of the sinnes of others Lastly defendendo by defending the sinnes of others we come to make their sins to be ours So was wicked Iezabell guilty of the base Idolatrie of the Priests of Baal 1. King 19.2 for she did defend them and maintaine them and in their cause protested revenge against religious Eliah So in like manner Corah and his accomplices Numb 16.3 became guilty of the loosenesse wickednesse of the people for they defended them that they were holy and righteous enough So as my Text tells you the Heathen were guilty of the sinnes of others Lawyers ought not to pleade those causes which in their owne consciences they know to be naught and impious for it is a thing odious thus to have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a tongue and a tongue that is so basely mercenary as for rewards to speake any thing for they did defend patronize and applaude them in their wickednesse A sinne common in these our times for first What cause is there so bad but some Lawyer that hath sould his conscience for mony will defend it and plead for it and labour till hee blow againe that you may easily behold the weight of the Fee in the very force of the wordes Againe what matter is so vile or savours of so much deceipt oppression or sacriledge but the inferiour troupe the Seminaries of dissention I meane wrangling Atturnies I speake only of those for as many as be honest it concernes them not will greedily snatch at it as having sould their honesty for petty Fees and bought them a leaden heart and a brasen face to bee daunted at nothing to bee ashamed of nothing that wax fat by sucking upon the iuice of mens violent and furious affections that cloath themselves and their dependants by inflaming strifes and contentions that grow rich by the falls and ruines of other men the bitter taint of whose infection doth daily increase more and more as experience doth cleerly witnesse And would to God some steps of this evill were not to be seene even in the Tribe of Levi for how prone may we see certaine of this ranke to nourish some the factious extenuating and patronizing their false and erroneous passages censuring them as wicked and malicious that oppose their ungodly designes Againe some others defending even the most prophane that live in daily grosse and odious impieties that they are righteous enough 2. Tim. 4.2 That there is little or no use of Preaching people being converted is a pernicious drug of Anabaptisme for they affirme as it appeareth by their writings Faith they publish Conclus 60.61.62.63 That the new creature which is begotten of God needeth not the outward Scriptures creatures or ordinances of the Church to support him but is above them by which is excluded that principall ordinance the preaching of the Word and is cleane contrary to S. Peter who biddeth us to desire the sincere milke of the word that we may grow therby 1. Pet. 2 for say they now in a planted Church all are converted or at least soone and easily to be converted and therefore inferre that now there is little use of the preaching of the word that that charge of Paul to Timothy to bee instant to preach the word both in season and out of season is corruptly alledged to prove a necessity of preaching in these times Oh what strange Anabaptisticall fancies bee these tending to the dishonour of God to the contempt of his ordinance to the offence of the weake to the nourishment of Atheisme and so to strengthen the hands of the wicked as still to inthrall them in the miserable snare of their pollutions An evill so great that God doth witnesse such as these to bee unto him as Sodome Mat. 28.19 Rom. 10.14 15. Rom. 1.16 Ephes 6.17 2. Tim. 3.15 and as the inhabitants of Gomorrah Oh that we would therefore speake more reverently of the Preaching of the word as of the ordinance of God his power unto salvation the sword of the spirit to cut downe the weedes of the soule by which we are made wife unto salvation and to grow up in Christ Ephes 4.15 Phil. 3.14 which is the head pressing hard toward the marke untill at length wee come unto a perfect man that is a full perfection of grace in Gods everlasting Kingdome Eph. 4.13 in regard wherof the Apostle did conclude 1. Cor. 9.16 Necessitie was laid upon him and woe unto him if hee did not preach the Gospell And thus we see beloved in Christ Iesus how manie wayes we become partakers of the sinnes of others but especially as we see unfolded unto us as the most grievous of all we become tainted with this guilt by defending and patronizing the sinnes of others a wickednesse that doth aggravate our sinne and hasten the justice of God against us as we see cleer example in these Gentiles spoken of by the Apostle Rom. 1.24 who for this foule contagion were delivered over into a reprobate nature and that most condignly for if the defence of our own proper sinnes be as Origen speakes limen inferni the verie next step to hell if it doth duplicare peccatum double the sinne Aug. in Psal as Augustine speaks how much more grievous is it then and worthy of the strictest stroke of
wickednesse Such were those spoken of by the Prophet Esay Esay 3.9 who did declare their sinnes as Sodome they did boast in their wickednesse and glory in their mischiefe therfore hee concludes against them with a grievous curse Woe unto their soules for they have rewarded evill unto themselves Such are many ungodly persons in these our times they boast themselves in their drunkennesse and glory in their adulteries they vaunt in their impostures fraudes and deceits and blesse themselves in their base impieties as if sinne were a vertue and wickednesse deserved praise as if there were no God to revenge nor Hell to torment And thus wee see if sinne bee but a while lodged upon the soule oh how it hardens the heart into what a grievous estate it brings it Oh therefore runne wee in due season whilst grace is offered before our hearts become hardned for as the very Heathen man can tell us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist hee that hardneth his heart can never bee cured These thoughts saith Aquinas can never be altered for these as the Apostle speakes have gotten to themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 2.5 a heart that cannot repent Therefore saith Bernard Ber. l. 1. de conside ad Eug. cap. 1. What is a hardned heart oh saith he a hardned heart is that which is neither cut by compunction nor softned by godlinesse nor moved with prayers nor yeeldeth to threatning nor is any thing holpen but rather hardned by chastening An hard heart is that which is ungratefull to Gods benefits disobedient to his counsells made cruell by his judgements dissolute by his allurements unshamefast to filthinesse fearlesse to perills uncourteous in humane affaires carelesse in things pertaining to God forgetfull of things past negligent in things present improvident for things to come oh what a grievous estate is this Therefore the Apostle gives this worthy exhortation Take heed Heb. 3.12.13 c. lest there bee in any of you a heart hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Sin is like a Cancker it soone creepes and infects the soule it soone drawes upon it the habit of euill Philo. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for custome as Philo speakes ariseth from a small beginning and what then followes but an incorrigible hardned heart Behold we therefore how urgently necessary it is that wee runne opportune in due season whilst grace is offered before our hearts become hardned through the continuance in sinne oh remember wee what that bright shining light Iohn Baptist did proclaime Now saith hee is the axe laid to the roote of the tree and why may wee not with him conclude Mat. 3.10 that every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire Consider we the voyce of the holy Ghost it calls us to a present conversion Psal 95.7.8 Today if you will heare his voyce harden not your hearts Oh now is grace offered now are wee invited unto this holy Race if therefore we will not harden our hearts and as the Prophet speakes Ionah 2.8 by wayting upon lying vanities forsake our owne mercies oh then let us now in due season whilst grace is offered forsake the sinke of our sinnes and bend our course unto the blessed state of Glory For how know wee whether God will ever extend his favourable mercie to us any more but that rather for our wilfull and violent contempts of his compassionate love he will leave us to the hardnesse of our hearts Me thinks beloved in Christ Iesus wee should never forget that remarkable example set down by our Saviour in Saint Lukes Gospell Luke 14.24 there wee see was but one invitation which being carelesly refused oh behold the conclusion the Master of the feast doth plainely witnesse that none of those shall tast of his supper nor favour nor mercie should ever bee offered to them more How plainely is this exprest unto us in the foolish Virgins Matt. 25.5 they had opportunitie to have furnished their lamps with oyle but they as we are prone sleeping in the dreggs of their evill regardlesse of their estates carelesly and securely past it by Ver. 12. but what was the sequell why the doore of mercie was shut against them for ever a definite sentence was pronounced upon them I know you not a dolefull voyce excluding all favour and mercie including all woe and miserie Wee may further see in the prophecie of Ieremy Ier. 14.11 that when the people had hardned their hearts and contemptibly abused the time of Gods mercie and favour it so exasperated him that hee forbids the Prophet so much as to pray to doe that people good and doth plainely witnesse that by this their pravitie his love was so withdrawne from them Ier. 15.1 that though Moses and Samuel stood before him those two religious servants deare in his sight that had obtained great matters from him though these stood before him and should intreat for this people yet his affection could not be toward them Zachar. 7.9 10 If we looke into the prophecy of Zacharie wee may there see that the Lord offered that people mercy he seriously exhorted them to turne from their unhallowed courses to execute judgement to shew mercy and compassion every man to his brother to oppresse no more the widow nor the fatherlesse the stranger nor the poore and let none of you imagine evill in your heart Vers 11. But when they refused to hearken when they pulled away the shoulder and stopped their eares that they should not heare Vers 12. when they made their hearts as an adamant stone lest they should heare the Law Vers 13. c. then came there great wrath from the Lord of hosts then it came to passe that as he cried and they would not heare so they cried and he would not heare c. Yea wee cleerly see that when Christs mercy to Ierusalem was refused Mat. 23.37 Luke 19.41 who would have gathered them together as the Henne her Chickens but they would not whose stubborn pertinacy as it drew compassionate teares from his blessed eyes so it provoked him to denounce a finall judgement against them Behold your habitation shall be left unto you desolate Oh remember we it is Gods owne voice Gen. 6.3 My Spirit saith he shall not alwayes strive with man hee will not alwayes bee offering mercy and favour but if a man will not turne he will whet his sword Psal 7.12.13 he will bend his bow c. and will prepare for him deadly weapons Oh then that we would be cautious to runne in due season whilst grace is offered before our hearts become hardned in sinne and the gates of mercy shut against us though then wee should roare like Beares and mourne like Doves though then we should cry like the Pellican and pierce the heavens with our skreekes like the Ostritch yet there would be no favour no